Early incursions into West Africa by Europeans, notably the Portuguese, resulted in an unexpected flowering of stylistic and artistic traditions. At this point the colonists were more interested in trade than conquest, and the areas from Benin across to the Edo and Owo regions all produced fusion works between the 16th and the 19th centuries. Previously these artesans had been tied to the royal courts, making luxury items for the Oba and for dignitaries. Their scope and range increased somewhat during this period. The methods of manufacture and, to an extent, decoration, remained as before. The innovations mainly revolved around the commissioning of European-style artefacts for a burgeoning Atlantic trade route. Various items of jewellery (such as bangles and necklaces) and other artefacts were produced. All such items were termed “Bini-Portuguese”. It is perhaps the salt cellars and accompanying table accessories that are most notable. Salts came in various forms, depending upon the request of the commissioner and the skill of the carvers, but generally revolved around an ivory cup or container supported by human caryatids. The size, number and ethnic identity of the caryatids also varies considerably. The current example is relatively small (the largest examples were over a foot tall), and comprises a plain cup supported by two female and two male/
hermaphrodite caryatids on an integral base. The faceting of the superior aspect of the lip suggests that it may once have had a lid, but this has been lost. The cup itself is decorated with transverse plain and hatched bands surrounding a scrollwork border in the centre of the cup’s circumference. The figures are all kneeling, and alternate between obviously female and questionably male individuals. The women are dressed in striped (incised) decoration hats and loincloths, and adorned with necklaces. They are holding and presenting their breasts. The other two figures wear plain hats and are otherwise naked except for necklaces; their hands are resting on their knees. Despite their exposed male genitalia, their breasts are as marked as the women’s. Another indicator of their status can be found in their relative corpulence, a marker of wealth and prosperity in many areas of Africa. The linear incisions on their abdomens may be indicative of tribal scarring, although it may also be a random variant added by the sculptor. The faces are essentially the same, with little personalisation. They are all smiling and wear essentially the same expression of serenity. The base is decorated with a wide band of cross-hatching. This piece was presumably made for a European market, but the expense of the material and the quality of the carving set it apart from anything that might be prepared for such an audience today.